It is important to understand the names and differences between the different "Types of Diets" there are in regards to food consistency to best understand where your child is and where their goals are.
Solids:
There are different textures of foods and liquids that can make it easier and safer for a person to swallow. These textures make it easier to chew and move food in the mouth and reduce the risk of food or liquid going into the windpipe or trachea, which leads to the lungs
Solids:
There are different textures of foods and liquids that can make it easier and safer for a person to swallow. These textures make it easier to chew and move food in the mouth and reduce the risk of food or liquid going into the windpipe or trachea, which leads to the lungs
- Thin puree: Food is smooth, moist, and pourable texture
- Ex: smoothie, ice cream, apple sauce
- Thick puree: Food that has a moist, thick puree texture. It does not need chewing. It will hold its shape on a plate. Food must be an even consistency with no lumps.
- Ex: yogurt (without fruit chunks), pureed meats, pureed vegetables, baby foods
- Pre-mashed: Food that is soft, tender, and moist and needs very little chewing. It has been mashed. It usually needs a very thick smooth sauce or gravy
- Ex: mashed potatoes, mashed bananas, mashed avocado
- Fork mashable: Food is tender and moist but needs some chewing. Food can be easily mashed with a fork. It usually needs a thick smooth sauce or gravy
- Ex: banana, avocado, cooked carrots, canned tuna, soft meats
- Ex: banana, avocado, cooked carrots, canned tuna, soft meats
- Mechanical soft: Food is soft, and easy to chew and swallow.
- Ex: Ground cooked chicken, turkey, beef or pork, thinly shaved deli meats, eggs, soft cooked vegetables (without seeds or skins, and chopped into small pieces), bread
- Regular: Food that is hard to chew and requires jaw strength to chew.
- Ex: Tough, chewy meat, poultry or fish, foods with chewy skins (fried), nuts/seeds, dried fruits or fruits with skins, raw vegetables, crunchy foods (pretzels, chips)
Liquids:
There are different thickened consistencies for liquids that will be recommended by a Speech Language Pathologist for a person who is having difficulty swallowing liquids. Drinking thickened liquids can help prevent choking and stop fluid from entering the lungs.
There are different thickened consistencies for liquids that will be recommended by a Speech Language Pathologist for a person who is having difficulty swallowing liquids. Drinking thickened liquids can help prevent choking and stop fluid from entering the lungs.
- Thin: regular liquids with no thickener added
- Nectar: liquids that are easily pourable and are comparable to apricot nectar or thicker cream soups.
- Honey: liquids that are slightly thicker, are less pourable, and drizzle from a cup or bowl.
- Pudding: liquids that hold their own shape. They are not pourable and are usually eaten with a spoon.
